I posted in this thread 8 months ago, right after I got the S8+, and I see the post was quoted a couple times. I should've posted back a few days after that, when I realized what was going on , but I'll do so now, just to set the record straight.
The problem wasn't with the phone — it was the fact I wasn't technically unfamiliar with the USB C-Type connector the phone comes with.
What I didn't realize was ᎓
That means you don't need to ( and shouldn't ) plug any type of OTG cable or OTG adapter in there. If you do try to include an OTG cable (one without a USB C-Type connector at either end ) in the connection, as some of us were doing ( present company included ), you definitely will have problems.* To get a USB storage device to connect and work with any phone which has a USB C-Type connector — like the S8, S9, and their "plus" variants — all you need is a single cable that has a USB-C male connector on one end ( which will plug into your phone ) and on the other end you want whichever type of USB connector fits the storage device you're trying to connect to your phone.
So for example if it's a USB 3.0/3.1 stick or flash drive you want to connect, the other end of the cable would be a female USB 3.0/3.1 A-Type ( full width ) connector. If it's a high capacity USB 3.0/3.1 portable drive you want to connect, as was my case, the other end of the cable would be a male USB 3.0/3.1 Micro B-Type ( the one that looks "split" in the middle ). Soon as I bought a cable like that and made it the sole connection between my phone and portable drive, all problems disappeared and I could read the drive from the phone without issue.
Point is, if you have a phone with a USB C-Type connector, OTG is no longer a concern to you, and you no longer need for special OTG cables ( or adapters, or anything ) to be part of the connection chain, because OTG logic is built right into USB C-Type connectors and cables. At first I thought USB C-Type was just yet another differently-shaped USB connector, one that was reversible, but really it's a key upgrade to the USB spec, one with "smart" connectors and fully-featured cables that are both reversible and OTG-ready. And it's going to be around for awhile, so buying a couple of USB C-Type cables to interface your storage devices with your phone isn't money wasted.
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* At that point the proper procedure is (a) post about how much you hate your new phone because OTG doesn't work, (b) quietly figure it out at some later point ("oh … heh-heh"), and (c) update that post several months later explaining how much of a dork you were back then, which most everyone who read your first post already knows.
The problem wasn't with the phone — it was the fact I wasn't technically unfamiliar with the USB C-Type connector the phone comes with.
What I didn't realize was ᎓
OTG is already built into your phone's ( and every ) USB C-Type connector, because OTG is defined as part of the USB-C spec.
That means you don't need to ( and shouldn't ) plug any type of OTG cable or OTG adapter in there. If you do try to include an OTG cable (one without a USB C-Type connector at either end ) in the connection, as some of us were doing ( present company included ), you definitely will have problems.* To get a USB storage device to connect and work with any phone which has a USB C-Type connector — like the S8, S9, and their "plus" variants — all you need is a single cable that has a USB-C male connector on one end ( which will plug into your phone ) and on the other end you want whichever type of USB connector fits the storage device you're trying to connect to your phone.
So for example if it's a USB 3.0/3.1 stick or flash drive you want to connect, the other end of the cable would be a female USB 3.0/3.1 A-Type ( full width ) connector. If it's a high capacity USB 3.0/3.1 portable drive you want to connect, as was my case, the other end of the cable would be a male USB 3.0/3.1 Micro B-Type ( the one that looks "split" in the middle ). Soon as I bought a cable like that and made it the sole connection between my phone and portable drive, all problems disappeared and I could read the drive from the phone without issue.
Point is, if you have a phone with a USB C-Type connector, OTG is no longer a concern to you, and you no longer need for special OTG cables ( or adapters, or anything ) to be part of the connection chain, because OTG logic is built right into USB C-Type connectors and cables. At first I thought USB C-Type was just yet another differently-shaped USB connector, one that was reversible, but really it's a key upgrade to the USB spec, one with "smart" connectors and fully-featured cables that are both reversible and OTG-ready. And it's going to be around for awhile, so buying a couple of USB C-Type cables to interface your storage devices with your phone isn't money wasted.
- -
* At that point the proper procedure is (a) post about how much you hate your new phone because OTG doesn't work, (b) quietly figure it out at some later point ("oh … heh-heh"), and (c) update that post several months later explaining how much of a dork you were back then, which most everyone who read your first post already knows.
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